Titus pasted his old smirk onto his face. “Let me ask you again, friend, how much for the girl?”
His sharp tone drew the man’s attention as his softer one had not. He sent his eyes over Titus, then drew himself up as if preparing for an introduction. Obviously, he saw in Titus one of those lords willing to pay for a girl to warm his bed. He named a price. The usual bickering ensued, but the slave merchant would not budge much.
“Give it to him,” Abigail pronounced after a few fruitless moments went by.
Titus looked at her as though she had taken leave of her senses. “It is too much, Abigail. You can get another girl for a third that price.”
But her hands already shook with fury. “I am sure I can. But I promised Miriam I would buy her, and I will not renege on that. Give him the money. I underpaid for Phillip, I can afford to overpay for Miriam.”
With only one sigh of protest, he drew out the money and handed it over, then supervised as the man untied her from the line and handed her over. Caius rejoined them, looking rather pleased, though the scraggly Germanic woman he had in tow did not seem to be the cause of his smile. Titus arched a brow.
Caius’s smile only grew. “A pretty wench,” he said in Latin, nodding toward Miriam. “I am glad to see you have decided to diversify, Titus. And I am beginning to understand your taste for the Jewesses.”
Abigail wanted to retort but could think of nothing biting enough. So she took Miriam by the hand and led her to where Phillip stood. She introduced them, instructed them to remain together on the walk back to the Asiniuses’ house, and moved back to Titus’s side.
He gave her fingers a squeeze. She concentrated on using the walk to calm down.
As soon as they arrived home, Caius announced, “We need to attend a small business matter quickly, Titus. Leave the women to get settled in and come with me.”
Abigail gave Titus a reassuring smile when he looked down at her. “I will get Miriam settled in and see you later.”
The two men soon left, and Abigail’s smile faded. She turned to Timothy, who was leading the Germanic woman away, and stopped him with an authoritative voice. “I will need a room for Miriam which is not with all of your master’s women. With your mistress’s maids, perhaps?”
Timothy’s expression was pained. “There is more room with the others–”
“I am sure there is always more room with Caius’s wenches, but my maid will not be one of them. If there is no room with Aquilia’s girls, I will insist Miriam be put in the guest chamber beside Titus’s room. Do you think your master would approve of that?”
Timothy apparently decided Abigail was angry enough to do it, for he pasted humility onto his face. “Mistress’s head maid has just been married. She had her own small chamber, which is now free. The other maids were hoping to get it, but I am sure they will be understanding, since it is only for a brief while.”
Abigail nodded, satisfied. “Phillip, will you please go with Miriam to see that she gets settled in, and then show her to my room? I want to check on the children.”
As the servants moved to obey, Abigail went toward Titus’s cubiculum. She found Antonia and her wards in the peristylium. Samuel and one of the other boys were playing with marbles, and Benjamin was watching with apparent delight. The sight was enough to restore the smile to her face and most of her previous good mood. She took the baby from the nurse’s arms and went inside to feed him. As he suckled, the rest of her spirits were restored, so that by the time Miriam and Phillip appeared, she was once again calm and peaceful.
Miriam’s face lit up when she saw the baby, and she sat at Abigail’s feet with a smile. Abigail introduced her to Benjamin, and then called in Samuel to meet her as well.